Best VPN for School & How to Stay Connected in 2024 (2024)

Schools commonly block many popular websites and services. In this article, I’ll discuss the best VPNs to unblock your favorite sites while using school WiFi.

Network administrators for schools, universities and other educational institutions commonly block access to websites and streaming platforms like Netflix, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Hulu and others. And when it comes to torrenting, forget about it!

Blocking isn’t done on an arbitrary basis. The idea is to restrict sites and services that might prove to be a distraction from the educational experience. Plus, if everyone is streaming from Netflix or uploading videos to Snapchat, the school network can slow to a crawl.

However, these apps and services are vital for staying in touch with family and friends, while P2P file sharing provides needed access to study materials, like PDF versions of textbooks. While we certainly don’t condone breaking the law, the internet is a vital resource of needed information, as well as social outreach.

Luckily, there is a way to circumvent school blockades and restrictions.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a service that can make it appear as if you’re accessing the internet from a different geographical location, allowing you to access content that may normally be blocked in your area. Plus, a VPN encrypts your internet connection, hiding your online activities from the prying eyes of school or college network administrators and other nosy types.

Best VPNs for School

I have put all of my favorite VPN providers through rounds of extensive testing, and the results showed that these 5 VPNs worked best for unblocking your internet access while using your school’s network.

If you’re short on time, here’s a summary:

1. NordVPN: The top VPN for school, NordVPN delivers excellent bang for the buck, providing top-notch online protection for most popular connected devices. The provider offers the second-fastest VPN connections on this list.
2. Surfshark: This provider has quickly established itself as one of the best budget-priced VPN options in the industry. Surfshark’s growing global server network delivers above-average online protection, providing reliable access to blocked content.
3. ExpressVPN: Although expensive, this reliable provider offers blazingly-fast connections that deliver excellent unblocking power for content around the globe. ExpressVPN offers comprehensive multi-platform app support, as well as excellent online security features and privacy protection.
4. CyberGhost: This provider offers an attractive VPN option for first-time VPN users and folks looking for powerful, yet easy-to-use VPN protection. The provider’s easy-to-use apps offer access to numerous streaming services via streaming video optimized servers. It also offers P2P file sharing-optimized servers.
5. IPVanish: IPVanish offers above-average online security via a good selection of apps and provides above-average VPN connection speeds. The provider offers an extra layer of privacy protection thanks to its self-owned and -operated global server network, which keeps third-party contractors away from your personal information.

I evaluated and ranked the top school VPNs by the following criteria:

• Works well to access blocked content
• Fast connection speeds with no limitations
• Allows P2P file sharing activity
• Provides comprehensive online security
• Keeps no logs of users’ online activities
• Offers multi-platform app support

Here’s my list of the top 5 VPNs for use on your school’s network.

1. NordVPN

Jun 2024

NordVPN snags the top spot on this best VPN list thanks to its speedy connections and good access to blocked content, all at a reasonable price.

This provider’s 5,500+ servers based in nearly 60 countries deliver reliable access to Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Facebook, Instagram and numerous other sites and services around the globe.

The provider’s fast, no-data-caps-or-bandwidth-throttled connections are some of the fastest I’ve seen recently, and deliver reliable speed that can easily handle any of your favorite online activities.

NordVPN allows peer-to-peer file sharing on approximately 1,500 of its servers, so your file sharing activities will be kept undercover.

NordVPN’s connections are protected by banking-grade encryption, an internet kill switch, DNS leak prevention, “Double VPN” protection, and malware, botnet and ad blocking.

Privacy is the least of your worries, thanks to the provider’s no-server-logs policy and its acceptance of Bitcoin in return for its considerable services.

NordVPN provides native apps for all of the most popular device platforms, including Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, Linux, and Android TV. Browser extensions protect your Chrome and Firefox browsing sessions. The provider is also compatible with numerous makes and models of routers.

Up to 6 devices can connect to NordVPN servers at once using a single set of login credentials.

BEST VPN FOR SCHOOL:NordVPN is the top VPN optionfor students in search of top VPN protection at a reasonable price. The provider delivers speedy connections, comprehensive app support and comprehensive unblocking power. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available.

Read my full review of NordVPN.

2. Surfshark

Surfshark is a quickly growing VPN provider that is rapidly earning a good reputation in the VPN industry. It offers bargain multi-year subscription deals. (Important, because aren’t all students poor? I know I was.)

The provider’s fast-growing global server network (3,200+ server in over 64 countries) provides excellent unblocking power, whether it’s due to your local network administrator or geo-blocking by online sources.

HD video streaming, online gaming and file sharing are all handled readily by the provider’s no-data-caps and no-bandwidth-throttling connections.

While Surfshark does only allow P2P file sharing on certain servers, there is no hassle involved, as the provider will recognize any P2P activity and will automatically connect you to the nearest available P2P-ready VPN server.

Surfshark’s strong digital security features consist of banking-grade encryption, kill switch and DNS leak protection and “CleanWeb,” which blocks ads and trackers from your browsing.

The provider offers the OpenVPN protocol, as well as the relatively new WireGuard protocol. A “MultiHop” option routes your connection through two VPN servers for double protection.

No logs are ever saved on Surfshark servers, and the provider also accepts various forms of cryptocurrency as subscription payment, meaning your privacy is also well protected.

Surfshark’s native app support includes offerings for the iOS, Android, Android TV, Linux, macOS, Windows, and Amazon Fire device platforms. Chrome and Firefox browser extensions are also available, as is extensive router compatibility.

Surfshark’s unlimited concurrent connections allowance means you could protect and enhance the connections of a school full of online users.

PERFECT FOR STUDENTS ON A BUDGET:If you’re looking for VPN protectionfor multiple online users at a bargain price, Surfshark is an excellent option. The provider allows unlimited concurrent connections, while offering excellent connection speeds for most popular devices. The provider’s multi-year subscriptions are a bargain. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available.

Read my full review of Surfshark.

3. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN provides a reliable way to bust through virtual roadblocks on your school’s network.

This provider offers some of the most powerful unblocking power around. With 3,000+ VPN servers in 94+ countries, ExpressVPN has most of the world covered, delivering access to most school-blocked and geo-blocked content. This includes Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Facebook and other sites and services that may be blocked at many educational institutions.

In addition to unblocking content, ExpressVPN offers fast access to that content.

Boasting blazingly-fast connection speeds, ExpressVPN delivers more than enough speed for streaming HD and 4K content, gaming and file sharing. (All depending on your school’s usual connection speeds, of course!)

The provider never limits your access by imposing data caps of bandwidth limitations.

Many VPN providers either completely outlaw peer-to-peer file sharing while on their networks or they limit P2P activity to a few slow servers. ExpressVPN allows P2P file sharing on all of their servers.

All ExpressVPN-provided connections are protected by military-grade encryption, DNS leak and internet kill switch protections. The provider offers the popular OpenVPN protocol, and at the time of this article, it’s beta-testing its new proprietary “Lightway” protocol.

As for privacy protections, the provider accepts Bitcoin to keep your payment information private, and also keeps no logs of any kind on their servers. Plus, ExpressVPN’s proprietary “TrustedServer” technology runs all server operations from RAM, never writing any information to a hard drive. That means the server is wiped completely clean whenever it is rebooted.

ExpressVPN’s multi-platform app support includes offerings for all of the most popular device platforms, including macOS, iOS, Android, Android TV, Windows, Linux, Chromebook, and Amazon Fire.

Extensions are also available for the Chrome, Edge and Firefox browser platforms. You can also protect all of the connected devices on your entire dorm floor via an ExpressVPN-compatible router.

ExpressVPN allows 5 simultaneous connections on a single set of login credentials.

QUICK AND RELIABLE:ExpressVPN offers reliable, if somewhat expensive, VPN protection and enhancement. The provider offers excellent access to geo-blocked content for multiple device platforms. Fast, no-data-cap connections deliver top-notch access to Netflix, Facebook, Instagram and other blocked sites and services. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available.

Read my full review of ExpressVPN.

4. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is an attractive choice for users with little to no experience with VPNs or who simply want a VPN that is easy to use yet powerful.

This provider has one of the best global server networks in this roundup, with 6,800+ servers stationed in nearly 90 countries. That extensive server network offers top-notch unblocking power, meaning there is an excellent chance that no matter what content you’re trying to access, you can do it.

Whether you’re streaming, gaming or sharing large files, CyberGhost’s connections are up to it. Fast speeds are the rule of the day here, and there are never any data caps or bandwidth limitations to worry about.

While this provider does allow P2P file sharing, the bad news is that the activity is only allowed on select servers. The good news is that the servers P2P is allowed on are optimized for the activity.

CyberGhost delivers well-protected connections thanks to military-level encryption, a kill switch and DNS leak prevention. The provider also offers malicious website and ad blocking and can also force websites to serve up HTTPS versions of their pages.

The provider keeps no logs of any kind on their servers and accepts Bitcoin as subscription payment.

CyberGhost offers apps for most popular platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV devices. Chrome and Firefox browser extensions are available. Support for multiple brands of routers is also available.

CyberGhost allows a generous 7 concurrent connections via a single login.

GOOD FOR FIRST-TIME VPN USERS:First-time VPN userswill appreciate CyberGhost’s easy-to-use apps. One-click protection encrypts your connection, delivering above-average connection speeds to most popular devices. A 45-day money-back guarantee is available.

Read my full review of CyberGhost.

5. IPVanish

IPVanish offers VPN protection that matches up well with the other providers on this list, then adds an extra layer of privacy protections.

The provider has over 1,600+ proprietary servers located in 54+ countries, providing content-unblocking ability for much of the world. All of those servers support P2P file sharing activity.

While far from the fastest connections in this roundup, IPVanish’s no-data-caps connections provide more than enough oomph for online gaming, file sharing and streaming HD video.

The service uses government-grade strong encryption, an internet kill switch with auto-reconnect, and a “scramble” feature that disguises your VPN online activity by making it appear to be normal browser traffic.

As for privacy, the provider keeps no logs of your online travels, but doesn’t offer a cryptocurrency subscription payment option. However, the provider’s self-owned and -operated servers help alleviate the privacy lacking a bit, as they keep third-party contractors away from your data.

The provider offers native apps for the Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS and Amazon Fire device platforms. You can use manual setup on the Linux and Windows Phone platforms. No browser extensions are available. However, router support is.

The service allows an unlimited number of concurrent connections using a single set of login credentials.

ADDITIONAL LAYER OF PRIVACY:IPVanish’s self-ownedand -operated global server network keeps third-party contractors’ hands off of customers’ personal information. The provider also offers fast connections for an unlimited number of devices. A 30-day money-back guarantee is available.

Read my full review of IPVanish.

How to Use a VPN at School

If you’re searching for a way to access blocked content while connected to your school’s network, do the following:

1. Subscribe to the VPN service provider that best meets your needs.
2. Download and install the VPN app(s) for your device(s). (You might want to do steps one and two before you connect to the school’s network, as they might block VPN websites.)
3. Log into the VPN app.
4. Select and connect to a VPN server location.
5. Enjoy your online activities, free of your school’s restrictions.

School Firewalls and VPNs

Schools can use a firewall to block VPNs by using one of two methods. They can either block port 1194, which is used by the popular OpenVPN protocol, or use Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) techniques to detect and block VPN use.

In the case of port 1194 being blocked, you can try to find a VPN that uses a protocol other than OpenVPN, and that supports port forwarding. All of the VPNs on this list offer other secure connection protocols.

If your school is more strict, and uses DPI to detect and block VPN usage, try using a VPN that hides your VPN traffic, making it appear to be normal VPN traffic. NordVPN and Surfshark are just a few of the VPNs that offer VPN obfuscation options.

Is a Free VPN a Good Option for Use With My School’s Network?

It’s possible that you might be able to use a free VPN provider to evade your school’s internet roadblocks, but it’s probable that you won’t be satisfied with the experience.

First of all, many free VPNs force their users to sit in a virtual waiting room, cooling their heels until a slot opens up on the free VPN’s limited number of servers. Once you’re given the green light to connect, you’ll either be automatically connected to a server of the provider’s choice or you’ll find a limited number of servers that are available.

If you’re using your school’s network, then you’re likely sharing the internet connection with hundreds, nay thousands of students, teachers, administrators and whatnot. That means your connection is likely to be slow enough without being overly slowed by your VPN provider.

Many free VPNs impose daily or monthly data caps on their free users, and they also impose connection throttling, slowing things down considerably. That means you may not be able to reliably stream video, play games or share files at a decent speed.

The “private” part of Virtual Private Network is missing when you use a free VPN. Many free VPNs pay the bills by collecting information about your online travels and then selling that info to nosy third-parties like advertisers, marketers and who knows who else.

Some free VPNs will even inject their own ads and tracking cookies into your browsing sessions. So much for privacy, right?

Conclusion

Students and teachers looking for a way to avoid school-erected internet roadblocks are strongly advised to investigate the advantages of a reliable VPN provider. My top choice is NordVPN.

NordVPN offers fast, well-protected connections that deliver optimal access to blocked online content, be it school-inflicted or geo-controlled by content providers. The service offers excellent online protection to most popular desktop and mobile devices.

For more information or to subscribe, visit the NordVPN website.

VPNs for Students FAQ